Satellite Call
by S7IMPAK
Summary: A young girls life is changed when she crosses paths with a mysterious organization, and its resident Defender of Justice. When two hurt souls find each other, filling up the empty, cracked, spaces between, what happens? Will they find the courage hidden beneath the humour to persevere? Follows 707s route, may stray from in-game dialogue at time. May change rating to M.
1. Chapter 1

_**Authors Note:** Hi everyone, I thought I should add an authors note to this chapter so that I could introduce myself and tell you a bit more about this story! My name is Stimpak, but most people call me Stim and this is my first ever fan-fiction! I've dabbled with writing my whole life but never did much with it outside of school, so here is my first attempt at sticking with an idea for a long story. I intend for this to span 707's entire route and secret ending, plus more after that! If you guys have any suggestions or ideas feel free to leave a review or message me and I'll get back to you ^^ Thanks for reading!_

I struggled under the weight of a mountain of text books, my arms shaking with fatigue as I tried, in vain, to fish my phone out of the back pocket of my faded jeans. "Need some help with that?" A familiar voice giggled behind me, quirking my lips easily into a tired smile. I heard the click of her heels rapidly increase as she jogged up behind me. Thank god for Bo-Mi, the sweetest little cinnamon roll of a person, and my best friend.

"You're a life saver!" I beamed at her while in the process of shifting half of my chemistry books into her open arms. She stood a whole head taller than me, so it was an awkward shimmy that had me straining on the tips of my toes. Her long, black hair was pin straight and as always perfectly in place, a single clip holding her bangs back. Dark, intelligent eyes searched my face. For a split second they registered concern before her face smoothed over once again into a neutral expression.

"Areum, did you sleep at all last night?" There was a hint of irritation in her voice that I had grown used to these past few weeks. She could tell I was up all night studying again, even through the extra layers of concealer and brightening powder I had put on this morning. The girl was a damn bloodhound when it came to people, she could sniff out the tiniest details and secrets. But I didn't want to worry her. I flashed her a dazzling smile and nodded enthusiastically as the buzzing in my pocket started up with a vengeance.

"Of course! I slept like a little babe! I dreamt about an epic intergalactic romance! And yes cats were involved." It was half true, I often day dreamed about going into space, and cats were almost always involved. I mean who didn't like cats? With their cute little paws and whiskers! I brushed a stubborn lock of thick, chestnut hair behind my ear, praying Bo-Mi would accept my story and stop prying. To distract her I used my now free arm to extract my phone and check the screen, curious about the source of the buzzing. I didn't get many texts or calls, so this was odd. A notification from the app store flashed across my screen, notifying me about the completion of my most recent download.

Bo-Mi's lips pursed into a hard line as she studied me, opened her mouth to speak, thought better of it and promptly shut her mouth again. There was a moment of silence as I checked my phone, a hot flush creeping up my cheeks as the messenger app opened automatically on my phone and we both stared down at it. Me in embarrassment, Bo-Mi in curiosity. I could see her quirk an eyebrow up in surprise out of the corner of my eye as I hastily shoved the phone back into my pocket and began walking quickly towards my next class. I should of never downloaded that stupid dating app from the e-mail. Now I would have Bo-Mi on my case all afternoon, interrogating me about potential boyfriends and my forever alone status. The sharp click of her heels on the tile followed me down the hall and she shouted from behind me in a teasing voice that fought to bubble over into a laugh. "I have the rest of your books dummy!" I debated breaking into a sprint and abandoning the textbooks to their fate, but the imagine of me tripping and landing face first on the floor stopped me. The way this day was going, I couldn't rule out the possibility of this getting even worse. "C'mon stop Areum, I wasn't even going to say anything!"

I took a deep breath and squeezed my eyes shut, willing the heat in my cheeks to dissipate and wishing desperately I could melt into the college activities board I was standing next to. I studied the cracks in the pristine white tiled floor, the janitor must have just mopped this hallway, I could almost see the outline of my reflection. Bo-Mi's black spiky heels came into view the next minute and my dark brown eyes took to glaring at the shiny gold buckle on her shoes instead. "So how do you think you did on the anatomy exam? I left a couple questions blank in the last half ugh..." I looked up and smiled at her attempt to put me at ease and change the topic, she knew I was like a skittish cat when it came to dealing with relationships and actually people in general. Her pretty features were pulled into an exaggerated grimace as she looked at me expectantly. "I think next time I should come study with you, that class will be death of me!" She moaned, and I couldn't help but laugh at her theatrics.

"You? Study?" I snorted and she narrowed her eyes at me before bursting into laughter with me. "You're too busy going on dates to find your future husband, to worry about your grade point average." We giggled together, Bo-Mi not even trying to dispute the fact that her grades had taken a back seat to the male population of SKY University. She was gorgeous and outgoing, and people were drawn to her magnetically. If it wasn't for her, I probably wouldn't ever leave the house. I was happy in my own little world, locked up in my studio painting or listening to music or even better working at the shelter surrounded by animals who needed my help. That was the only companionship I needed.

"Don't you want to find a tall, dark, stranger to sweep you off your feet and fall madly in love with?" I laughed and shook my head as she continued, her voice rising with passion. "And we would get married in a big beautiful church and take our honeymoon somewhere exotic like Bora Bora or.. Fiji!"

"And let me guess, you live in a magnificent mansion and have a butler named Jarvis?" I'd heard this spiel a million times and it never ceased to amuse me.

"Actually I would settle for a penthouse." Bo-Mi flashed me one of her signature, charming smiles and I laughed again, rolling my eyes for effect. A sudden loud vibration sounded once again from my back pocket, causing me to jump slightly in surprise. "Okay, I said I wouldn't say anything but... was that a.. dating app I saw on your phone?" A laboured sigh escaped my lips as I retrieved my phone once again. The jig was up, Bo-Mi was like a bulldog when she sunk her teeth into something, she wouldn't let this go. The notification for one new message blinked onto the screen of my cellphone and my eyebrows lifted in surprise. That was fast.

"I think?" I started to answer, my thumb hovering over the unopened message, unsure. "I got an email about this new app and I was bored so I downloaded it." My eyes met her interested gaze as she scratched her forehead, deep in thought.

"I've never heard of that one before." Her voice was slow and measured, as she tried to pull something from memory. She quickly snapped out of it and thumped me on the back enthusiastically so that I lost balance and almost tipped over under the lopsided weight of my textbooks. "Good for you girl! Look you have a message already! Open it, open it!"

I swayed to regain my balance and sent her a defeated look. "Don't you have class right now?"

"Don't change the subject!" Bo-Mi rummaged around in her purse for a second before pulling out her phone and checking the time. I watched her face pale as she quickly put the device away and dropped the textbooks she'd been carrying for me back onto the already unsteady stack in my arms. "Shit, shit, shit! You're right, I'm late for Kwon's class!" She sent me one last lingering look, as if she wasn't sure she should leave. "But you have to promise to tell me about that message later!" With that she turned on her heel and frantically ran down the hall, forcing apart a group of guys heading towards us and calling over her shoulder, "Promise Areum," before disappearing around the corner.

I wilted under the weight of my textbooks and sent her a sheepish smile before collapsing onto an empty bench. I forced myself to take a calming breath, avoiding the curious glances of the other students in the hallway after Bo-Mi's dramatic exit. My free hand felt hot and sweaty and I looked down to see that I was still clutching my cellphone tightly, the screen now black. I stared at it for a minute, chewing on my lip nervously. I'm sure Bo-Mi had tried to encourage me in her own way, but it had just made me feel insecure about this messenger app. Why was I overreacting so much? It was just a dumb app. I shoved my books unceremoniously into my bag, adjusting the shoulder strap as it dug into my skin from the added weight. Another deep breath as I stared at the black screen, willing my fingers to move on their own. I swiped left and entered the chatroom.

 _Unknown: ...Hello...?_

Unknown, that was an odd name wasn't it? I mean, I didn't frequent messenger apps much so what would I know.. I typed back hesitantly.

 _Areum: ?_

 _Unknown: Can you see this?_

That was fast, this guy wasn't wasting any time.

 _Areum: Yes, I can._

 _Unknown: Finally connected. Thank god. It's not every day you get a text from a stranger. I'm a bit flustered myself. I found a smartphone at the subway station, but all it had was this messenger app. I want to find the owner, but I don't see any contact info or call records... I've been sending messages with this app but no reply... All I see is an address and some important looking numbers saved in the notes. I'd like to go their myself but I'm currently abroad..._

Well he seemed nice enough. I winced at the thought of losing my phone and all the data stored on it, it would be like losing a limb! I quickly typed back, my anxiety lessened slightly due to the seriousness of the situation.

 _Areum: I'm sorry but, who are you lol_

 _Unknown: Me? Oh sorry. I didn't introduce myself. I'm just... a student studying abroad. I'm Korean. I could tell you my name, but it doesn't really matter. You won't find me on search engines ^^;_

Okay well, that was a little weird. He wouldn't tell me his name? Or her I guess.. I don't know anything about this person. And what's with the search engine thing? I nibbled on my lip and wriggled on the bench uncomfortably. I was about to reply but Unknown beat me to it.

 _Unknown: But, Anyways.. Can you help me find the owner of this phone? I know your surprised to have someone suddenly pop up and ask you a favour like this. But still.. I'd appreciate it if you could help._

I paused to think for a moment, my memories going back to when I was a child and my parents told me not to talk to strangers. But if I'm in a position to help, shouldn't I? I know I would be freaking out if I lost _my_ phone. Whats the worst that could happen? This time I don't hesitate.

 _Areum: How can I help?_

 _Unknown: Uhm... I'd like for you to go to the address saved here. I saw the street view through the internet, and I've been there before. It's an apartment in downtown. Very crowded. It's really a safe place. If you feel unsafe, you can turn around. I know the area. It's developed._

Alarm bells went off in my head like fireworks and I stared down at the messenger, a crease forming between my eyebrows as I debated. On one hand, a random stranger from the internet was telling me to go to a strange location, by myself, with very little information. On the other hand, I was in a position to help someone. If I didn't do this, who's to say this _Unknown_ would be able to find someone else to inform the owner of this phone? The way he talked, it made me feel more at ease than maybe I should have been. I mean, he told me to leave if I felt unsafe at any time. If he was a shady type of person he wouldn't say that, would he? I steeled myself and typed back with as much confidence as I could muster.

 _Areum: Okay.. But I'm leaving right away if it feels sketchy._

There! That was a good compromise. Satisfied, I eagerly awaited his response, now feeling invested in this missing phone fiasco.

 _Unknown: You trust me... Thank you! Just a sec. I'll send you the address._

I waited with baited breath, strangely excited. Was this an adrenaline rush? Or was I just incredibly stupid and walking into a trap. I shook the thoughts from my head, laughing nervously to myself and standing up from the bench. I was done my only class for the day. It would be no problem to alter my original plans of spending the day at home playing LOLOL to quickly stop by this address and talk to these people about the phone. A smile stretched across my face as a strange feeling of empowerment rushed through me. I could do this! The phone buzzed in my hand again and I looked down eagerly.

 _Unknown: Found it._

The address was unfamiliar to me, but I knew the general downtown area and I had google maps at my disposal. I adjusted the strap of my heavy book bag distractedly as I turned around and started walking towards the front doors. Typing as I went.

 _Areum: On my way!_


	2. Chapter 2

_**Authors Note:** Hello! Sorry about the short chapter this time, I wasn't sure where to end it without it getting super long. I hope you like it, __enjoy!_

I stepped off the bus with a spring in my step, my sneakers scuffing on the side walk as I hurriedly shuffled out of the way of people disembarking behind me. It was a beautiful autumn day, the sky was clear and tirelessly blue and I could feel the lazy heat warming the top of my head. I swept a hand across my forehead, causing my bangs to tickle the pale, sweaty skin there. Lugging all these textbooks around was tough work! Now let's see.. where exactly am I? The busy street was lined with shiny, new looking apartments and condos with a few modern and expensive looking shops sprinkled throughout for variety, I supposed. This must be the nicer side of town, just look at these buildings! I blinked my large, doe eyes dazedly as I took in the swanky neighbourhood. The glare of the sun reflected off the stark white walls of the condo directly in front of me searing my retinas with its intensity.

I pulled up the address on my phone, squinting against the splotches of colour crowding my vision as I compared it to the metallic numbers stamped on each building. I must be near the place, the house numbers were already very close to the one Unknown had sent me. After about ten minutes of walking distractedly and gawking at my surroundings, and a few angry looks later as I narrowly avoided crashing into people on the bustling sidewalk; I came across an expensive, glossy looking apartment with an ornate scrolling gate that appeared to separate it form the outside world. Cautiously I grasped my hands around the smooth metal, using it as leverage to strain onto the tips of my toes and peer over into the buildings courtyard. According to the numerical pattern of the houses on either side, this should be the missing puzzle piece, the residence of the missing phone. I sank back down with a gulp, spotting the address in small, scripted silver numbers near the front doors. Yup, this was the place.

Ok, I can do this. I wiped my suddenly sweaty palms on my jeans, forcing down the nervous shock of energy in my belly. I would just write a note explaining the situation and leave my name and contact information for the owners to get ahold of me later. Easy. Then I could help out this mysterious Unknown person and go on my way, good deed done for the day! There was only one thing standing in my way. I looked up, my gaze following the intricate floral design in the solid metal structure before me. The gate. It was easily six feet tall, dwarfing my mere 5'1" frame and making me feel like a petulant child sneaking back home after a night of mischief. It was clearly too large for me to scale, not to mention this type of place looked like it would have some serious security measures. I scanned the immediate area for some sort of intercom or control panel but found nothing. I put a finger to my lips in quite contemplation. Nothing had happened when I touched the gate, perhaps it was unlocked and there was no alarm?

Tentatively I reached out one hand, moving as if in slow motion, my muscles tensed and ready to dart at the slightest sound of trouble. Nothing. The gate swung open silently on oiled hinges. I stared at it for a moment, convinced it would snap shut at any second, then sprinted through and up the steps to the double glass doors, not daring to look over my shoulder. Inside I was greeted cheerfully if a bit suspiciously by an older lady seated at a glossy marble desk. I spared her a quick, nervous smile before making a beeline to the elevators, keeping my head down and trying to act normal. Obviously I wasn't one of the regular tenants here, but no one said anything to me as I waited awkwardly in the lobby; at least they were polite.

Finally after an excruciatingly long elevator ride shared with a young, trendy looking couple who blatantly stared at me, I arrived on the fourteenth flour and in front of the designated apartment door. As if on cue my pocket buzzed to life and I grabbed my phone immediately, swiping right to unlock the chatroom.

 _Unknown: Are you there yet? See nothing strange. ^^_

I felt a wave on unease wash over me as I stared down at the simple message, re-reading it silently to myself, as if trying to extract some extra meaning from it. How did he know I was here already? And if he didn't know.. that was a damn good guess. I gulped, fighting the tightness in my throat and the jittery panic fluttering in my chest. What was I being so paranoid about? It had to be a coincidence, these sorts of things happened all the time. Now was not the time to have a panic attack, hold it together Areum. I gritted my teeth together and quickly replied before I had a chance to back out, my hands trembling lightly.

 _Areum: Yes._

 _Unknown: Is there a password lock on the door?_

My dark eyes snapped up to the door handle, knowing already that there would be a password lock. The sick feeling swirling around my insides intensified as my sight confirmed my intuition.

 _Areum: Yes.. Shouldn't I knock?_

I battled my fear with the normalcy of routine, polite manners, knocking timidly on the smooth wooden door without waiting for a response from Unknown. A couple seconds passed, the only noise an angry buzzing in my hand that I ignored. No answer. Ok, it appeared they weren't home, I'll just write a quick note and try to slip it under the crack of the front door. I began to rummage in my book bag, crumpling and tearing potentially important papers in my haste to get the hell out of there, now. A monologue of buzzing accompanied my search and finally more out of frustration than anything I stopped and glanced at the phone.

 _Unknown: Hmm. You're right!_

 _Unknown: Sorry, I wasn't thinking straight._

 _Unknown: Then ring the doorbell._

The messages made me pause. I didn't know what I had expected, but the reply was so.. normal it caught me off guard. Again I questioned myself, was this just my own anxiety getting the best of me? I'd come this far already, it would feel like a waste to leave now. This is something I can conquer, I have to be brave! I have to try...

 _Areum: I don't think anyone is home.._

 _Unknown: Hmm. No choice then. I guess the place is empty._

 _Unknown: Why don't you press the code?_

The next message was a sequence of numbers, presumably the passcode for the apartment door. My chest was heaving and it took a conscious effort to steady my heart rate with a deep breath in, pause, and exhale out. My hand habitually moved to rest over my heart; palming slow, rhythmic circles over the crumpled material of my knit sweater. It was a technique I had adopted over the years to calm myself down when I was feeling overwhelmed.

The buttons were cold and hard under my finger tips as I quickly typed in the code on the door, a sharp puff of breath escaping my lips as I heard a mechanical click and the door cracked open. It was at that exact moment, as my hand left the handle, that a very distinct thumping noise followed by a frantic scuffle cut through the silence of the empty hallway.

Only it wasn't empty. A shriek parted my mouth into a perfect oh as I jumped in surprise, my head cracking like a whip towards the origin of the noise. I caught a blur of white hair and startled, mint green eyes that pierced through me. Then nothing. The person, for I was sure it was a person, had vanished. The only trace of their existence an eery echo of uneven footsteps that was quickly swallowed by silence. Without thinking I threw myself into the apartment, sprawling in a tangle of limbs onto the hard, wooden floor and kicking the door shut behind me. I lay there for a moment, pushing myself onto my hands and knees, my laboured breaths the only sound in the apartment. I felt like the wind had been knocked out of me, it was a monumental struggle to extract oxygen out of the air. This must be what suffocating feels like, I thought.

My hands clenched into tight fists, disturbing a thick layer of dust on the floor. I blinked away the hot prickle of tears that threatened at the corner of my eyes and stared blindly at the grime, my thoughts tumbling over themselves and not making sense. Who.. who was that? Had that person been following me the whole time? What did they want from me? I pounded the floor in frustration, wincing as my hand went numb and then immediately bloomed in pain. Why were they hiding there.. watching me? How could I have been so stupid to listen to a stranger in the first place! I knew it was a bad idea, it had felt wrong... And yet I stubbornly talked myself into it. To do what, prove myself? Stupid, stupid, stupid!

I forced myself to straighten up, my body crumpling in on itself, as if becoming smaller would make me disappear. This couldn't be happening, I needed to get out of here, now. It took all my strength to drag myself from the floor, and I leaned my weight against the door to more easily catch my breath, my hand unconsciously going to my chest and pressing hard in an attempt to relieve the pressure there. I made to try the handle and was forcefully stopped, the cool metal in my hand refusing to turn. No way... I tried again, this time with both hands, and was met with the same, stoic, closed door. I was locked in. With a cry of frustration I kicked the door and slumped to the floor, my efforts exhausted.

An all too familiar buzzing noise filled the room, breaking through the panic induced fog that was my thoughts. Unknown! In my distress I had forgotten about Unknown and the messenger app. I reached for my back pocket, then hesitated as it buzzed again, and again. Could it have been Unknown, the person I saw? The person following me? I steeled myself, closing my eyes and stabilizing my breathing the best I could before swiping open the phone and entering the chatroom. I needed answers.


	3. Chapter 3

**Authors Note:** Hey guys! So the last chapter was kinda short, and now this one is suuuper long ^^; I really hope you don't mind. Also we are finally introduced to the RFA this chapter! Yay!

 _Areum has entered the chatroom._

 _Yoosung*: Failed my midterms fml T_T_

 _707: Cuz u played LOLOL all night lol._

 _Jumin Han: If you want to work for our company, you should take care of your GPA._

 _Yoosung*: I'm still on the list?! +_+_

 _Jumin Han: Yes._

 _707: Nice ~ Can't believe u get to work straight after college lol_

 _707: In this day and age!_

 _ZEN: Lame. It's nepotism._

 _Jumin Han: It's called recruitment actually._

 _ZEN: It's giving a free pass instead of actually training the worker._

 _Jumin Han: Whatever. I couldn't care less what you say._

What the hell was this? I sat on the floor unmoving, my eyes wide with shock and staring unblinkingly at the messenger. Where previously it had been only myself and Unknown, now it was filled with names I'd never seen before, and a lot of them. I blinked, shaking my head as if that would erase the vision in front of me. But when I looked back down at the buzzing phone nothing had changed. The conversation had moved on from midterms and nepotism, it looked like they had noticed me. What was going on here? Where was Unknown? I hugged my knees tightly to my chest for comfort, resting my head there, which suddenly felt as heavy as lead, and watched the conversation progress in the messenger. Unsure of what to do next.

 _707: Wait!_

 _Yoosung*: Why?_

 _ZEN: ?_

 _707: Think someone entered the chat room;;_

 _Jumin Han: Areum..?_

 _ZEN: Wtf. How did it get in here?_

 _707: Hacker!_

 _Yoosung*: Hacker!? Therae's a hacker in ouer room!_

 _Yoosung*: Sevnee do somethign!_

 _ZEN: Hey, typos. -_- ;;_

 _707: Wait a sec. I'm searching._

 _Jumin Han: Who are you? Reveal yourself. Hey, Assistant Kang._

 _Jaehee Kang: Yes, I am here._

I bristled at that, narrowing my eyes at the "it" comment, of course, there was no way for them to know who I was. They seemed to be just as surprised to see me in the chatroom as I was to see them. I looked up from my phone to glance around the apartment, only now noticing that all the lights were on. Weird. It was small but decorated tastefully with some expensive looking white couches and a glass coffee table dominating the middle of the room. To my right was what appeared to be the kitchen, I could see a hint of glossy, dark counter tops and stainless steel from my spot on the floor. I leaned forward to get a better look at the left, past the entertainment stand and high-tech looking equipment, and saw a small bedroom and a door which must lead to the bathroom. The whole place was very open concept sporting a sleek, modern style. With a heavy sigh I sank back against the door, leaning my head against the solid surface and closing my eyes. I needed answers, but at this point I was hesitant to participate in anything lest I found myself in even more trouble. I didn't really have a choice though did I?

 _Areum: Umm.. Hello?_

 _Yoosung*: Gahhhh it's talking!_

 _ZEN: So it's not two smartphones._

 _Jumin Han: Who is it?_

 _Yoosung*: Find out what it is!_

 _Jaehee Kang: How did you find out about this place? Where did you download the application?_

 _707: Oh...^^; Wait._

 _707: I just found something. This is weird._

 _ZEN: What is it. Hurry and tell me._

 _707: I traced the IP..._

 _707: It's from Rika's apartment._

 _Yoosung*: Rika's apartment?_

Well that was something, the owner of this place was a person named Rika. And apparently these people knew who Rika was. Maybe they could get me out of here!

 _Jaehee Kang: The location is not revealed. I know it to be classified._

 _707: Anyways, someone must have broken into her apt._

 _707: It talked just now, so it must be a person ^^;_

 _Yoosung*: So it hacked the program, Seven?_

 _707: Yup._

 _Yoosung*: Who are you?! How did you get into Rika's apartment?!_

 _Yoosung*: How did you get this app?!_

 _Yoosung*: Gah ~ So scared right now..._

 _Yoosung*: I thought that aparment has a passworth lobk?_

 _Areum: I'm scared! Where is Unknown? Who are you people?_

 _707: Lol so Awkward._

 _707: I thought it was a computer talking._

 _ZEN: Who is Unknown?_

 _Yoosung*: Omg.. it talked!_

 _Yoosung*: Why is the hacker scared ^^;_

 _Jumin Han: Reveal yourself, stranger._

 _Jumin Han: If you do not reveal yourself, you will pay._

 _ZEN: Stranger you will pay? Lmao_

 _ZEN: omg~*so scary*~_

 _ZEN: It might be a girl._

 _707: That's sexist lol. U should watch what u say now that ur a famous actor._

 _Areum: My name is Areum, I was talking to someone in the chatroom called Unknown._

 _Areum: I came here about a lost phone?_

 _Areum: But the door locked behind me_

 _Areum: And I saw someone following me!_

I clutched my chest, battling with myself to stay calm while the panic bubbled just below the surface. I couldn't help thinking the person was still out there.. waiting. My eyes felt hot suggesting tears would soon follow but I refused, instead I forced myself to stand on wobbly legs. I noticed a peephole in the front door but was too frightened to look outside, the image of one mint green eye staring back at me enough to dissuade that course of action.

 _ZEN: Wait, someones following you?_

 _Yoosung*: What?!_

 _Yoosung*: This is so carzy!_

 _ZEN: Typo_

 _Jumin Han: Unknown?_

 _707: A hacker.. ?!_

 _707: No way!_

 _707: I have everything covered!_

 _707: Hey, Areum. So he told you the password for the door lock?_

 _Areum: Yes. I don't know whats going on right now, I'm so confused._

 _707: Oh!_

 _707: I just looked up the owner of the device. Shes cute lol_

 _Yoosung*: You did a background check on her? So Areum is definitely a girl?_

 _ZEN: Could it be the hacker.._

 _ZEN: Who's following her?_

 _ZEN: Do you think this person's a creep? No way._

 _Jaehee Kang: Where did you download this messenger app?_

 _Areum: I was sent a link to it from an email._

 _707: Anyways._

 _707: I should trace the person who distributed the app._

 _707: Just stay there Areum._

 _Jumin Han: If what she is saying is true._

 _Jaehee Kang: I think it would be a good idea to contact V._

 _707: Yeah. I think that's a good idea._

 _707: I'll call and explain everything._

I flopped onto the nearest couch, my head pounding as the adrenaline from earlier began to ebb from my veins and the seriousness of the situation began to sink in. I was trapped in a classified apartment that apparently no one in the messenger knew the location of. There was a good chance that a hacker, quite possibly Unknown, had set me up to break into this place. And now some "V" person was being contacted? I set down my cellphone on the coffee table, watching it's reflection blink and vibrate every time there was a new message in the chatroom. But I didn't look at it, I couldn't handle anything else being thrown at me for the moment. Instead I switched my gaze to the walls of the apartment, they were painted a soft white and were decorated with many beautiful pictures of natural landscapes. Whoever had lived here (Rika was it?) had been a lover of art.

I put put my head in my hands and closed my eyes, begging the world to go away for a moment. I could still hear my phone buzzing on the table, the noise amplified now as it vibrated on the glass, but I gritted my teeth and ignored it. Those people: Yoosung, Zen, 707, Jaehee Kang, Jumin Han, and now V. It was all to much to keep straight. So I did what I always did when things got overwhelming, or I would of if I was at home. But I was not at home and therefore did not have my sketch pad and pencil. Instead I sank back into the cushions and focused on tuning out the world around me. With one hand I rubbed soothing circles over my heart, massaging the stress away while the other pinched the bridge of my noise in an attempt to relieve myself of this headache. I sat there like a statue until the sound of my phone stopped buzzing, the walls of the apartment disappeared and my anxiety began to drop away like an electrically charged shroud.

" _Did you get mysterious messages?_

 _It's a piece of the puzzle,_

 _The letters are the only clues to_

 _Solving hidden mysteries."_

The sound of my ringtone sliced through the temporary peace I had created. I jumped, sitting up straight and instinctually grabbing my phone off the table. My eyes and long brown hair were wild as I stared at the screen, not recognizing the number that popped up. Ugh did I even want to answer it at this point? I clicked accept and spoke timidly into the receiver. "H-Hello?" The voice on the other line was not one that I was familiar with and it spoke in a strange accent that had me scrunching up my nose in concentration.

"Rrrrrr Rrrrrr. Your bank account has been used for a fun prank. Where you aware of this? I must first confirm your cellphone number to verify your identity, so please calmly follow the instructions."

I smacked the palm of my hand against my forehead in frustration. This could not be happening right now, did the hacker get into my bank account too? "Are you serious?" I groaned, taking a moment to crane my head up and look at the ceiling. Why me! "What should I do? Do you want me to press my number? What was the prank?"

"Gullible Customer, please calm down. And take a deep breath. Breath in- Breath out-! You must be collected at a time like this. Now, if you've taken a deep breath, please go ahead and say I love you~" My eye started twitching as the voice on the line changed halfway through, dropping the obviously fake accent for a low teasing tone. "You know, like how the teddy bears say it." Ok fine, I would play a long.

I fluttered my lashes in an exaggeratedly flirtatious way and said in my most sugary voice. "Honey I love you~"

There was immediate laughter on the other line, the kind that was so contagious it had my lips turning up in a satisfied smile along with it. "Hahahahaha good job. God.. so cute." I couldn't help the blush that bloomed on my cheeks as I listened, my mood surprisingly increased from a prank call of all things. The mans voice continued, "Now I will confirm your number. Please tell me your number."

Oh so he was keeping up the game? I opened my mouth in preparation to give him a hilariously fake number but he beat me to it. "Stop! You were about to tell me your number right? You can't do that! There are so many scams like this right now! That explains how the hacker used you so easily.. haha so gullible. If you receive a call like this from now on, don't even think and just hang up. And if your unsure, just call me. Okay? I'll check even when I'm busy."

My speculations were confirmed then, it was someone from the chatroom, they must be wondering what happened to me after disappearing like that. "But who is this?"

"Oh? It is I, seven, zero, seven! Defender of Justice! And genius Hacker! But... I just called to check weather this is the right number and to see if you were ok. You left the chatroom without saying anything."

So this was 707, the goofball from the chatroom and from what I could tell in charge of security? I assumed he had already hacked my email and facebook to get information on me. He did tell the other that I was a girl.. and cute. My blush deepened at the thought. "I'm sorry.. I was overwhelmed with everything happening." That was an understatement. "What did I miss?"

"V was here.. he's like the evil mastermind of the RFA. He has control over the chat room and the organization we're in." There was a short pause in which I could clearly here the sounds of lightning fast typing and clicking. "Which you know nothing about eheh. Why don't you come back into the chatroom and Jaehee will summarize everything you missed. In short.. V decided that you should join the RFA in Rika's place and stay in her apartment. I'm the only one with access to the apartments address because I deal with all the classified information for the RFA and developed the messenger app."

I scratched my head, apparently I did miss a lot. "But I can't stay here.. I have classes-"

"At SKY University, Third year, nursing student." The smirk in his voice was undeniable. "Just come back to the messenger pleeeeasssee. I still have to deal with the scary hacker. Don't worry I'll keep you safe. Just be a good girl and don't touch anything in the apartment or the alarms will go off." Another pause as I absorbed everything 707 had just said, then I quickly scrambled off the couch careful not to touch anything else in the room.

"Okay.. I'll go back on the messenger and talk to the others." I didn't really know what else to do at the moment except to go along with what he was saying.

"Waahoo! Bye, bye then!" With that 707 was gone. I looked at my phone, then around at the apartment feeling thoroughly perplexed, then back at my phone and entered the messenger app.

 _Areum has entered the chatroom._

 _707 has entered the chatroom._

 _Yoosung*: Areum!_

 _Yoosung* Are yuo ok?!_

 _ZEN: What happened to you? Did the creeper come back?!_

 _ZEN: lol typo yoosung_

 _Jumin Han: I appears Seven got a hold of Areum and explained the situation._

 _Areum: I'm ok now.. I just needed a minute._

 _Areum: Sorry to worry you guys._

 _ZEN: So cute!_

 _ZEN: You must be scared.. but we won't let anything happen to you._

 _707: Areum must be going crazy with how things are going rn lol_

 _Yoosung*: ... I think I'm going crazy._

 _707: Now then ~_

 _707: I told Areum we would explain about Rika and the RFA.._

 _Areum: Yes please explain._

 _ZEN: Okay._

 _ZEN: Rika is.. V's old girlfriend and the person who created the RFA._

 _Yoosung*: Rika hosted parties regularly for a good cause.. she used this group to plan the party and manage participants._

 _Areum: What kind of good cause? Charities?_

 _707: She hosted a fundraiser to help those in need_

 _707: and introduce the guests to one another to arrange business deals._

 _707: Rika_

 _707: founded the organization called the RFA four years ago and hosted two parties until so far._

 _707: The six of us who knew her personally joined the organization and helped her host the parties._

An image of a young woman dressed in an elegant skirt and blazer flashed on the chatroom. Her long blonde hair was pulled back in a curly ponytail and she had the kindest green eyes. She held an important looking clipboard and was gesturing to a group of people, I assumed this was Rika. But why wasn't she in the chatroom with the others? Yoosung, the one who had posted the picture, went on to say how great she was and how everyone loved her. Then.

 _ZEN: Rika... is no longer with us.._

 _ZEN: She passed away a year and a half ago._

 _Yoosung*: ..._

 _707: Areum has to know this anyways.._

I got the feeling that Yoosung* had been very close to Rika, and I felt a pang in my heart for him. It seemed like the members of the RFA were still having a hard time getting over her. I made a mental note not to bring up the name Rika again unless absolutely necessary.

 _Yoosung*: .. I cant imagine... someone taking over what Rika did._

 _ZEN: But if we continue on like this, there's no need for the party or our organization to continue._

 _707: So.. this app program is not just a simple messenger._

 _707: All the party related emails in Rika's computer_

 _707: will be transferred to this app._

 _707: U'll be able to automatically receive the guest's information as well._

 _707: And send personal messages to other members.._

 _Areum: Ok..._

 _707: Areum, u can log into this chatroom from time to time right?_

 _707: All u have to do is what Rika did and use the features in this app._

 _707: Most of it is just checking emails about people who want to attend the party._

 _ZEN: Yup. And come chat with us regularly._

 _Jumin Han: Why doesn't everyone stop talking and Assistant Kang can summarize everything for her._

 _Areum: That would be very helpful thanks_

 _Jumin Han: And invite her to the organization._

 _Jaehee Kang: Alright._

 _Jaehee Kang: RFA is an organization Rika created so that anyone can freely make donations regardless of class or nationality._

 _Jaehee Kang: At the time, she hosted quite large parties once every two years, and they were quite successful._

 _Jaehee Kang: This chatroom was used to discuss plans for the party._

 _707: I created this chatroom lol._

 _Yoosung*: Everyone knows that already.._

 _Jaehee Kang: Because this chatroom contained a lot of information that cannot be publicly released_

 _Jaehee Kang: the app was distributed in secret only for RFA members._

 _Jaehee Kang: But ever since Rika passed away, we have not hosted a single party._

 _Jumin Han: We wanted to, but without Rika, we couldn't._

 _Jaehee Kang: ..Areum,I think you were led to that place without any explanation._

 _Jaehee Kang: If V's theory is right, it seems that someone sent you there to fill Rika's position._

 _Jaehee Kang: Considering that you knowing about the existence of that place satisfies the conditions for joining the organization, and following V's orders.._

 _Jumin Han: Currently there are six members, Me, V, Zen, 707, Yoosung and Assistant Kang._

 _ZEN: If Areum joins, it will be seven._

 _Yoosung*: Is she.. really becoming a new member?_

 _Jumin Han: We didn't hear from Areum yet._

 _Jumin Han: Areum._

 _Jumin Han: All we are trying to do is host parties, raise funds, gather people.. things like that._

 _Jumin Han: Our organization has done a lot of good so far._

 _Jumin Han: ... You will never regret joining._

 _ZEN: If you join the organization, we'll be able to talk more. Not everyday we meet a pretty girl._

 _707: Uhm. How do you know she's pretty? I didn't even send the photo._

 _ZEN: SEND THE PHOTO._

 _707: No._

 _ZEN: Damn._

I couldn't help but giggle, for whatever reason these people had put me at ease. Even though the situation was crazy, even though I had no idea what I was getting myself into, even though I was trapped in a dead girls apartment downtown filled with classified documents. I felt better. This RFA, an organization designed to host parties and raise money for people in need around the world, well that sounded spectacular.

 _Jumin Han: Areum, will you join RFA?_

The defining moment. I knew everything would change if I said yes, but would that really be such a bad thing? Unconsciously I began chewing on my lower lip, my eyes locked onto the chatroom as I re-read what Jumin had typed over and over again. "RFA." I tried out the word on my tongue. It felt.. right. Maybe this was fate, maybe I was meant to help the RFA and continue their work. Rika's work.

 _Areum: Alright, it looks fun.. I'll try my best!_

A genuine smile broke across my face like sunlight, a warm rush of excitement and energy coursing through me at the decision.

 _Yoosung*: That's a fast decision.._

 _Jumin Han: Ha, I like it._

 _Jaehee Kang: I wonder if you have thought this through._

 _ZEN: Welcome, Areum. Oi, Seven. Register her info asap._

 _707: Ya. I have to register her before she changes her mind._

 _Yoosung*: Areum must be a positive person, seeing that she made her decision so fast._

 _Jaehee: She may not be a careful person.._

 _Yoosung*: .. I'm glad we have a girl now! It was a hopeless sausage fest until now lol._

 _Yoosung*: Areum! If you have any questions, I can answer them._

 _Yoosung*: No need to worry about anything ^^_

 _707: Good. I've registered her as a member! Oh. We don't really need ur signature._

 _707: ^^ Since it's a verbal contract._

 _707: I'm gonna leave for a sec. Need to check sth._

 _ZEN: Background check on Areum?_

I snorted at that, thinking back to the call I had just received from Seven.

 _Areum: I think he has that covered already ._

 _707: Oops~_

 _707: Nah it's work. I have to make a living somehow._

 _Yoosung*: Hey keep her privacy!_

 _Yoosung*: And you get paid enough._

 _Yoosung*: I saw your new car on fb.._

A picture of sleek white Ferrari popped up in the chatroom. It was parked next to another expensive looking, red sports car and was posted on a facebook page by the user 707. The only caption was ^3^. My eyes widened in shock. Was not expecting that..

 _Areum: Wow.. O.O_

 _707: Areum likes my babies!_

He sent a winking face emoji and I snorted out loud, covering my mouth with one hand as if I was scared to disturb the silence in the apartment.

 _707: I'm gunna peace out._

 _707: Anyways, welcome Areum._

 _Yoosung*: Welcome! Good luck to us._

 _ZEN: Glad you joined, Areum ^^_

 _Jumin Han: We'll see how you do._

 _Jaehee Kang: For now, I look forward to working with you._

 _Areum: Oh! Umm Seven I have a few questions for you about the apartment._

 _Areum: Can you call soon?_

 _707: Ya~_

 _707: 707 over and out!_

With that, everyone left the chatroom, and I was left standing in the middle of an empty room, a small smile etched onto my face as I stared down at my silent phone. The only thought echoing in my mind, _Now what?_


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

 **Authors Note:** Hi Everyone! I'm so sorry this chapter took me a week to write. I just got a new laptop so I was in the process of getting it set up and then transferring all my stuff over, ahh so confusing for a computer illiterate person like me lolol Anyways this chapter turned out super long again T_T let me know if you don't like it this long because I could split it in half next time if that would be better! Let me know if you liked it, I love to hear from you guys!

To my two anonymous reviewers- Thank you so much! You have no idea how much your comments effect me. I was really struggling to find the time to write this chapter with how busy I've been but its you guys who get me through it and motivate me to keep going! I'm really glad you like it so far, I was worried it would be boring in the beginning because of the set up and character introductions. I mean how many times have we all played through that conversation with unknown in the start lol But from here out it will deviate from the standard story quite a bit as I'm sure you can tell after reading this chapter, and I'm really excited!

"Zen, twenty three, Musical Actor.." I mumbled out loud to myself as I scrolled through the RFA member profiles on my phone. I clicked on Zen's profile picture and froze, my heart doing an uncomfortable flip flop in my chest as I stared at the face of a literal Adonis among men. His skin was flawless and the colour of cream and his long white hair was pulled back into a sleek ponytail. Sharp red eyes stared back at me boldly and his mouth was cocked in a confident smile that might of actually made my knees weak. Was this guy for real? I mentally fanned myself and clicked on the next member profile to get the image of Zens face out of my mind before I turned into a mindless fan girl zombie.

Yoosung Kim, a young looking blonde boy with wide, innocent violet eyes and a cute smile. He was twenty years old and a student, the hobbies he listed were the video game LOLOL, cooking and volunteering. "Awww" I cooed, matching his profile to the Yoosung* in the chatroom from earlier. He was the same age as me and so far, the youngest out of all the members. I played LOLOL quite frequently ever since my older brother Mari had introduced me to it, I wondered if Yoosung and I had ever played together without knowing it. I made a mental note to ask for his character name and moved on to the next member.

"Another girl!" I squealed as I clicked on Jaehee Kang. Lets see, twenty five and.. my eyebrows raised with surprise as I kept reading, Chief Secretary for C&R International. I scrolled down and was greeted with the somewhat stern face of a young woman with short brown hair, brown eyes and square framed glasses. I remembered reading about C&R International in one of those business magazines they always had strewn about hospital waiting rooms. To be the Chief Secretary for such a powerful company, and at such a young age was impressive to say the least.

"Oh." I chuckled to myself in disbelief as I clicked on the picture of a handsome man with a cool, neutral expression on his fine features. "Makes sense now." Jumin Han, twenty six, Executive Director of C&R International. Now that was a face I had definitely seen before I thought to myself as I examined his profile. His icy grey eyes were framed by perfectly coiffed dark hair, they stared straight through me with a casual indifference. In the chatroom Jumin had referred to Jaehee as Assistant Kang. I hadn't paid much attention to it then, what with everything going on, but putting the puzzle pieces together now I figured they must work closely together.

Ah, I had been saving the best for last. A grin crept across my face as I clicked on the final RFA member, thinking back to our playful phone call earlier. Since he already apparently knew so much about me, it was time to even the score. 707, twenty one, and predictably listed as hacker. He had a mop of curly red hair that looked tousled as if he had just woken up and bright amber eyes that were sly and almost cat like behind his striped glasses. A pair of worn orange headphones hung around his neck, and beneath that a silver cross. He was cute and somehow, exactly what I had expected. I stared at his picture for a moment longer, studying the curve of his jawline and the playful intelligence in his eyes when suddenly, my phone began blasting my ringtone at full volume and 707's number lit up the screen.

"Gah!" Instinctively I dropped the ringing device, a hot flush racing up my neck and face as I was startled from my thoughts, feeling like I had been caught with my hand in the cookie jaw. Flustered, I tried to catch the phone before it hit the floor, resulting in an awkward juggling that almost had me landing very undignified on my butt. "S-Seven!"

"Ohhhh. You sound surprised, did you forget about me already?" The pout in his voice was heavily emphasized and it only flamed the fire in my cheeks.

"No! I was just looking at your picture-" I slapped my forehead with the palm of my hand and winced, my insides feeling like they were shrivelling up and dying in embarrassment. There was a surprised pause and then loud laughter over the phone, _smooth Areum._ "You just surprised me." I explained, feeling stupid.

"707 is a master of surprise! Now, what can God Seven do for the damsel in distress?" I grinned and began pacing around the living room of the apartment, deciding to play along with him.

"Oh God Seven shine your light on this humble servant and answer my prayers!"

"Wooow, I never expected this kind of response!" His voice was so playful and carefree, it immediately relaxed me and eased the tension from my shoulders. "But how is the apartment? I'm working on finding the hacker right now. But. So. Tired."

"You mean aside from being locked in here without food or presumably water and being surrounded by an active alarm system?" I sent a cursory look around the room, wrinkling my nose at the copious amount of spiderwebs and dust bunnies lurking in the dark corners and crevices.

"I can fix that!" I listened to the clacking of his keyboard, imaging his fingers flying across it skillfully like the hackers did in the movies. "Let God Seven work his magic!" There was a muted clicking noise that came from the direction of the front door and I crept towards it hesitantly, ready to bolt at the slightest hint of movement. "Accessing security logs... disabling alarms on systems one through-" His distracted murmurings were perplexingly soothing, smoothing down my nerves as I waited patiently for him to finish. I didn't want to interrupt his process. Or was it just that I didn't want to stop listening to his voice? I shooed the thought away with a frown and stood uncertainly in front of the door.

"Done! The door should be open now and I've deactivated the basic alarm system on the cupboards and drawers." I sighed in relief and placed my hand on the doorknob to test his work. "But, it wouldn't be good for you if you touched Rika's filing cabinets..." I stopped, arching an eyebrow and turning to study the filing cabinets in question. They were looming like stern sentinels near the desk and computer, crowding the small bedroom with their presence. "You see, those documents are classified and I haven't disabled the entire security system."

"Oh okay.." I mumbled, making a mental note to avoid that area in general. I didn't need to be accidentally causing more of scene by touching something I shouldn't have.. though I was curious...

"But if Areum is a good girl there will be no problems!" Seven laughed, regaining the mischievous lilt to his voice after his temporary lapse into solemnity. "Now for payment! I think ten bags of honey buddah chips is reasonable."

"Honey buddah chips! The salty and sweet taste on my tongue is heaven! The only fitting tribute for God Seven, alas this humble servant is not so lucky to have some. Is there any other payment God Seven would accept?" My lips twitched into a sly smile as the line went silent. I was very aware of the suggestive emphasis in my voice, that'll get him back for the good girl comment. I trailed my finger tips in figure eight patterns on the door while I waited, creating sloppy designs in the dust.

There was a spluttering noise followed by breathless laughter and then Sevens voice. "W-Wow! I uh suddenly feel very hot. Whew! Ahem. More work just came up so I have to go."

"Running away so soon?" I suddenly felt very bold. "Okay, okay, is it safe for me to leave the apartment and get some of my things? I'm guessing I'm going to be staying here for awhile." I motioned to the apartment around me with a sweeping gesture of my arm, instantly feeling silly as no one was there to see it.

"What can I say I'm a hacking slave! I guess you can leave.. but call me when you leave the apartment and when you get back so I know your safe. I'll be working around the clock to find out more about the hacker. See I'm a nice person! If anything breaks or you have any problems just let me know and I'll fix it for you. 707's Repair Service!"

"What can't 707 do?" I said, only half joking. "I'm leaving right meow to get my stuff and some groceries. I'll call you when I get back!"

"Areum." There was a momentary pause and I stood up straighter as his tone once again shifted into something hard with weight behind it. "Thank you so much for joining the RFA. Because of you we can have the parties again and continue Rika's work!" I opened my mouth to say something but no sound came out, I was thrown off by the sincerity in his words. "Anyways talk to you later! Bye, bye!" And then he was gone, the line going dead in my hand.

I lowered my arm and looked at the phone curiously, a feeling of warmth curling lazily around my middle, like a tight hug from a loved one. I couldn't explain it, but somehow, I felt like everything was going to be ok. I felt good. I smiled softly to myself at the faint echo of Sevens voice in my mind, grabbed my book bag and opened the apartment door.

A small, worn picture was clutched in my hand. It's corners were bent and torn, as if it had been forced into a frame too small for it and the colours looked faded and bleached. It was one of those cheesy, overly posed photographs people used for christmas cards, the kind you went to Walmart for. A middle aged couple stood in the middle holding hands and smiling brightly as they looked directly into the camera. The woman had dark brown hair that was highlighted with threads of white and twisted into a neat bun. She had large, kind eyes that crinkled at the edges from laughing. This, was my mother. The man standing next to her was dressed smartly in a plain navy blue suit, the tie was one I recognized. It was gold with bright, contrasting fuchsia flower designs throughout, my brother and I had got it for him on his fortieth birthday. It had taken us all our allowances for a whole two months to be able to afford it. His blue eyes shone with emotion, relieving some of the stress from the lines in his face.

I stoked my thumb gently across the picture, wiping away a smear of dust as I studied it, trying to memorize the details. Perched in front of my mother was a young girl on her knees, long straight brown hair falling across her shoulders and down the front of her smart, white sundress. It was a younger version of me. But unlike my parents, I wasn't looking into the camera. My mouth was parted wide, mid laugh, and my scrawny pale arm was slung casually over the shoulders of brother. I had my head turned to the side and was staring adoringly at Mari, as if he had just told me the funniest joke in the world, which knowing him, he had.

Mari's face was smooth and youthful, we were so young then, he couldn't have been more than thirteen. His hair was buzzed short and his cheeks still had that soft curve to them that only children had. But behind the wide smile and finger guns at the camera, his blue eyes were tired and dark circles were inked onto his skin from a lack of sleep. He was staring at the camera, that knowing, mischievous expression stamped onto his face. The wheelchair made us the same height when I crouched on my knees. I pocketed the picture in my jeans, careful not to fold or crease it unnecessarily.

I was standing in the middle of my studio apartment, a duffle bag slung across one shoulder, fighting for dominance with my book bag. A generous pile of art supplies was piled haphazardly by the door, blank canvas's and paintbrushes peeking out teasingly as I debated on what to bring with me. I already had all the essentials. A toothbrush and my shower things, enough clothes for a week, the sparse contents of my refrigerator and all of my school supplies. But what was I supposed to do for fun cooped up in that apartment? I would go crazy in no time if I didn't have anything to keep my mind preoccupied with. I had propped up a compact version of an art easel against the wall and studied it begrudgingly. It would be a laborious journey back to Rika's apartment if I had to carry that thing back with me, but I was really loath to leave it behind. I didn't know how often I would be able to get back here after I left today.

Twenty minutes later saw me struggling down the street under a mountain of supplies, cursing my poor decision making abilities. To make things worse it had started to drizzle. Big fat raindrops ran down my face, drenching my bangs and soaking through my light sweater. There was a loud rumble which instinctively made me think of thunder until I realized it was coming from me. I hadn't eaten since breakfast and it was fast approaching evening. I eye balled the grocery bag full of food swinging from one of my arms, strategizing how I could sneak a granola bar out of there without dropping everything. And then it hit me. The sweet, delicious aroma of fresh baked bread. I remembered then that there was a vendor on this corner that sold Bungeoppang, goldfish shaped bread that was filled with mouth watering red bean paste.

My eyes darted back to grocery bag, then up at the busy street searching for the food truck I knew to be there. I caught sight of a familiar middle aged man wearing a plain white bandana through the crowd and eagerly gave up the idea of the granola bar. As I approached, the mouth watering smell hit me in the face like a brick wall, reminding me of times I had stopped here with Bo-Mi after classes on our way to my apartment. It brought a tiny smile to my face and I greeted the kindly man with a cheerful "Good Afternoon!"

He beamed back at me, startled and grateful for the new customer. I looked around and noticed that I was the only one at the food stand, not only that but the supply of goldfish bread was devastatingly low. My face fell, slightly crestfallen at the lack of treats, had my nose betrayed me? The man took notice of my concern and laughed good naturedly, waving me closer to the cart with a knowing smile. "Don't worry I have more coming soon. There will be enough bungeoppang for everyone miss!"

Relieved, I set my bags down beside me on the ground and cradled my art easel with one arm so that it was leaning over my shoulder and I had a free hand. "In that case I'll take two!" My stomach grumbled as if to emphasize the point and I blushed, praying no one else heard that.

"Five minutes then!" The man called happily over his shoulder as he turned back to where the goldfish bread was being made. Considering I had some time to kill I took my phone out of my pocket, mostly shielding it from the rain with an easel leg, and opened the messenger app. It had been a few hours since my phone call with Seven and I was curious how the other members were handling the sudden introduction of me into the RFA. Glancing at the members online it looked like only Jumin and 707 were in the chatroom, I hesitantly typed out a quick Hello.

 _Areum has entered the chatroom._

 _Areum: Hiya 707?_

 _Areum: Hello Jumin._

 _707: Wow! It's the infamous Areum! Welcome~!_

 _Jumin: Our lady of the evening._

 _Jumin: My driver isn't here yet._

 _Jumin: Thanks to that I can't go to work._

 _Areum: Wow you have your own driver?_

 _Areum: I take the bus ^^_

 _707: lol take the subway_

 _Jumin: I don't know where that is and I don't have cash._

It was easy to forget just how wealthy Jumin was. I hadn't ever met someone who didn't know where the subway was. Feeling slightly intimidated I was relieved when Seven changed the subject.

 _707: lol knew it_

 _707: Areum did you know that Jumin has the cutest cat?_

 _707: I want to see her~_

Little hearts popped up around Sevens messages and I stifled a giggle by turning it into a cough. The next message was a picture posted by Jumin of a beautiful silky cat with long, snow white hair and bright blue eyes. I couldn't help but let out a little "Ohhh!" It was so cute! Laying on its back in that signature cat pose, tempting you to pet it while it secretly wanted to sink its claws into you.

 _Areum: So Beautiful!_

 _Areum: I want to pet it!_

 _Jumin: Her. Her name is Elizabeth the 3_ _rd_ _._

 _Jumin: Anyways, I'm worried that there are a lot of people who don't understand the beauty of cats in this world.._

 _Jumin: I should have the world carry out more cat related businesses._

At that I couldn't suppress it anymore, I burst out laughing, imagining Jumin sitting in a chair petting Elizabeth the 3rd like Dr. Evil as he discussed cat related businesses. What even were cat related businesses? Apparently Seven felt the same way.

 _707: lmao_

 _Areum: lolol_

 _707: Jumin's a cat mom_

 _Jumin: I do not like that term._

 _Areum: Cat moooooomm. Meow._

 _Areum: I actually volunteer at a cat shelter_

 _Areum: If you need help with your.. cat related businesses let me know Jumin!_

 _707: Areum likes cats too?!_

 _707: I want to come play with the cats_

 _707: Oh but I'm too busy_

He sent a crying face emoji that had me cracking me up.

 _707: I'm_

 _707: a_

 _707: hacking_

 _707: Slave!_

 _Areum: I'll come rescue you with my cat army!_

 _Areum: God Seven!_

 _707: Ooooo_

 _Jumin: Areum._

 _Jumin: Do not let 707 near your cats._

 _Jumin: He is a known cat abuser._

 _Jumin: I have footage of him biting Elizabeth the 3rd's neck on security tapes._

 _Jumin: Seven, if you come near my place, security will stop you._

 _Areum: OMG_

 _707: Alright, so all I have to do is hang around with the security guard and then go in lol._

 _707: Okie dokie!_

 _Jumin: Areum, 707 is a dangerous man. Because.._

 _Jumin: He never listens._

 _Areum: lolol_

 _Areum: Seven just likes to joke around_

 _707: Yup!_

 _707: Wow! Ur like the only one who gets me in this group._

"Hey miss your goldfish bread is ready." I turned around sharply at the sound, startled out of my conversation. There was a loud _THWACK_ sound and I felt the impact of my easel hitting something as it jolted up my arm and fell from my slack grip with a clatter to the pavement.

"Argh!" A distraught voice yelled out behind me which quickly devolved into muffled curses. "What the hell?" I turned with a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach, preparing myself for the worst. I wasn't prepared enough. In front of me stood a tall, slender man doubled over in pain, hands clutching at his face with a pained expression. His once pristine white jacket was now stained an angry crimson as blood poured from his face, dripping down his arms and chest.

"Oh my god! Are you okay?" I stepped over my dropped bags and easel, inching closer to the man in an attempt to inspect the damage. As I reached out to pull his hands away from his face, my medical training kicking in, it seemed he finally took notice of me and took a step back. Two eyes like dark red garnets burned accusingly into mine and I felt a shock run through my system. I knew this man.. Red eyes, long white hair, impossibly attractive even with blood gushing out of his nose..This was ZEN.

"Do I look okay?" He exclaimed angrily, the impact slightly less intimidating as it came out like he had a lisp. The revelation rocked me. I had just potentially broke the nose of an RFA member and I'd been part of the organization for what? Less than four hours? I blushed furiously, chasing the thoughts away by allowing my nursing instincts to take over. I took a calming breath, my mind flooding with first aid procedures and textbook diagrams.

I moved, this time without a hint of hesitation, and closed the distance between us. Arching up on the tips of my toes, I placed my hands on either side of his face and coaxed him down so that we were at eye level. His skin was so smooth and soft, and the eyes which were previously dark with anger now widened with shock. I noticed his eye lashes were almost translucent, they fluttered against his cheek with a delicate grace as he twisted to get away from me, a dusting of pink colouring his cheeks.

"H-hey! What are y-you doing?"

"This might hurt a bit." I said more to myself than to him. I had never actually fixed a broken nose outside of a classroom before. I choked down the embarrassment as he stared at me in equal parts horror and fascination, our faces inches apart. Then with one swift movement, I pulled his hands away from his nose and felt along the bridge for breaks. Zen screamed in response but I didn't flinch, continuing to feel along his nose with gentle, probing motions until I was satisfied that nothing was actually broken. I leaned back on my heels, giving him some space and taking a deep breath. "Your lucky! Nothing broken!" I exclaimed, forcing fake enthusiasm into my voice as I grabbed a water bottle from my bag and soaked a napkin from the bungeoppang cart with it.

Zen winced and stared at me like I was the devil, eyeing the napkin I held out to him suspiciously. With a sigh I ignored his horrified expression and gently began dabbing at the smears of blood that were beginning to dry on his face. There was an awkward moment of silence as I worked, Zen's face twitching every so often as I strayed to close to his nose which was already begging to darken and swell. I stared intently at the wet napkin, now marbled pink with blood, refusing to meet his incriminating gaze.

"I'm Areum by the way." I blurted out, the words tumbling over themselves before I could stop them. Well damn, I really knew how to make a first impression. _Good going Areum._


End file.
